Uttarakhand releases GEP report & STI Policy-2026; 121 trekkers rescued in Gangotri snowfall as Char Dham Yatra resumes; OECD lifts India FY27 growth to 7.1%
Monday, 28 September 2026 · IST · Uttarakhand + National · 11 items · 2 MCQs
Uttarakhand became the first state to publish a technical Gross Environment Product (GEP) report for 2023-24 and 2024-25 alongside its Science, Technology & Innovation Policy-2026, while early snowfall stranded 136 mountaineers in Uttarkashi and forced a two-day halt of the Char Dham Yatra. Nationally, the OECD raised India's FY27 growth forecast to 7.1%, India climbed to 31st in the WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026, and the UNGA adopted its first declaration on sea-level rise.
Today at a glance — things to remember
CM Dhami released Uttarakhand STI Policy-2026 and GEP technical report (2023-24 & 2024-25); ordered carbon credits to be built into policy.
Forest Dept rescued 121 trekkers from Gomukh-Tapovan (Gangotri National Park) after heavy snowfall.
136 people stranded near Kalindi Pass & Auden's Col; 3 helicopters readied at Harsil.
Char Dham Yatra resumed on 28 Sept after a two-day weather suspension (red alerts in 4+ districts).
Uttarakhand faces ~350 MW peak-hour power deficit; UJVN hydro output fell from 1,094 MW to 912 MW.
Bindukhatta (Lalkuan, Nainital): ~15,000 marched for revenue village status under FRA 2006; CM to take it to cabinet.
Panchayat by-polls: voting 12 Oct, counting 14 Oct 2026; model code in force in concerned blocks.
OECD raised India's FY27 GDP growth forecast by 80 bps to 7.1%; inflation seen at 4.7%.
India jumped 9 places to 31st (score 4.42) in WEF TTDI 2026; Japan tops 110 economies.
Tarang Shakti 2026 (2nd edition) operational phase began at Jodhpur; theme "Power in Partnership".
Environment & ecology of Uttarakhand; state economy & green accounting; S&T policy. Prelims: GEP, UCOST, HESCO, first-state facts.
Context
On 26-27 Sept 2026, CM Pushkar Singh Dhami released the Uttarakhand Science, Technology & Innovation (STI) Policy-2026 and the Gross Environment Product (GEP) technical reports for 2023-24 and 2024-25 in Dehradun, with PM's Principal Scientific Adviser Prof. Ajay Sood present.
Key facts
GEP report values the state's natural capital — forests, water, biodiversity, soil conservation and carbon sequestration — in economic terms.
CM directed that carbon-credit mechanisms be built into the STI policy to reward conservation.
STI Policy-2026 focuses on Himalaya-specific research: glacier science, disaster management, energy, water, agriculture, health, plus IPR and start-ups.
Instruction to make rainwater harvesting low-cost and locally adapted for common citizens.
Nodal body: UCOST (Uttarakhand State Council for Science & Technology); partners incl. IIT Roorkee, ANRF and HESCO.
Way forward
Link GEP scores to departmental budgets and district plans, and use verified carbon credits to create green income for hill villages.
Concept
GEP = value of ecological goods/services, complementing GDP. Uttarakhand became the first state to launch a GEP Index (July 2024) built on four pillars — Air, Water, Soil, Forest. GEP idea was championed by HESCO founder Dr Anil Prakash Joshi.
Mind-map with Uttarakhand GEP Report at the centre linked to forests, water, biodiversity, soil conservation, carbon sequestration and the STI Policy-2026 focus areas. — StudyForGS
2. Early Himalayan snowfall: 121 trekkers rescued at Gomukh-Tapovan; Char Dham Yatra resumes
Heavy rain and unseasonal snowfall from 26 Sept triggered red alerts across districts and a two-day suspension of the Char Dham Yatra. On 28 Sept, the Forest Department brought 121 trekkers safely from Gomukh-Tapovan to Gangotri, and the Yatra resumed.
Key facts
136 people stranded in high passes: 89 expedition members, 18 at Kalindi Pass base camp, 29 at Auden's Col base camp.
3 helicopters positioned at Harsil; agencies: SDRF, NDRF, Police, Nehru Institute of Mountaineering (NIM), Forest Dept.
Snowfall also reported at Kedarnath, Gangotri and Hemkund Sahib; Garhwal Commissioner ordered DMs to hold pilgrims at safe points.
Make weather-linked trekking permits, satellite phones and real-time registration mandatory for high passes; extend IMD impact-based forecasts to trek routes.
Concept
Kalindi Khal/Pass (~5,940 m) links Gangotri with Badrinath (Mana); Auden's Col joins Gangotri and Bhilangna valleys. Gangotri National Park (est. 1989) lies in Uttarkashi. SDRF Uttarakhand was formed after the 2013 Kedarnath disaster.
Flowchart of the Uttarkashi snowfall response: IMD red alert, Yatra suspension, district control room, multi-agency ground and air rescue, and Yatra resumption on 28 September. — StudyForGS
With the Yatra resuming after the snowfall halt, the carrying capacity debate returns: the last full-season official count (2024) shows how unevenly the pilgrim load falls on the four shrines, with a recent daily average of about 13,000 pilgrims.
Enforce shrine-wise daily caps, promote winter Char Dham (seats at Kharsali, Mukhba, Ukhimath, Joshimath/Pandukeshwar) to spread the load.
Concept
Rivers: Yamunotri–Yamuna; Gangotri–Bhagirathi; Kedarnath–Mandakini; Badrinath–Alaknanda. Carrying capacity = maximum visitors a place can support without ecological or safety damage.
Horizontal bar chart of 2024 pilgrim footfall: Badrinath 17.47 lakh, Kedarnath 15.03 lakh, Gangotri 7.95 lakh, Yamunotri 7.13 lakh, Hemkund Sahib 3.26 lakh. — StudyForGS
Energy resources & hydropower of Uttarakhand; infrastructure; national energy transition. Prelims: UJVN, UPCL, Tehri PSP, pumped storage.
Context
The state is facing a ~350 MW shortfall during peak hours, with outages even in Dehradun. Nationally, NTPC and France's EDF signed a 50:50 JV (25 Sept) for pumped-storage and hydro projects — the very technology whose outage is hurting the state.
Key facts
UJVN Ltd hydro output down ~170 MW year-on-year: 1,094 MW → 912 MW in September.
Central hydro share down ~90 MW; Tehri Pumped Storage Plant technical unavailability ~100 MW.
UPCL (distribution utility) is trying to minimise cuts; state plans to recover dues from government offices.
NTPC-EDF JV cites national target of 100 GW pumped-storage capacity by 2036.
Way forward
Diversify with solar + storage, speed up stalled small hydro, and sign seasonal banking agreements with plains states to cover lean-flow months.
Concept
Pumped storage: water pumped uphill when power is cheap and released through turbines at peak — a 'water battery'. Tehri Dam is on the Bhagirathi (Tehri Garhwal) and operated by THDC India; the state's power utilities are UJVN (generation), PTCUL (transmission), UPCL (distribution).
Bar chart showing contributors to Uttarakhand's peak-hour power shortfall: UJVN hydro decline about 170 MW, Tehri PSP outage about 100 MW, lower central hydro about 90 MW, against a total deficit of about 350 MW. — StudyForGS
5. Bindukhatta revenue-village demand: 15,000 march; CM to place issue before cabinet
Land administration & forest villages of Uttarakhand; Forest Rights Act; Tarai-Bhabar settlement. Prelims: FRA 2006 Sec 3(1)(h), khatta/goth settlements.
Context
On 27 Sept 2026, about 15,000 residents of Bindukhatta (Lalkuan tehsil, Nainital) marched in heavy rain on the 44th day of their agitation for revenue village status. The CM's assurance to take the matter to the cabinet was conveyed by minister Ram Singh Kaida.
Key facts
Bindukhatta began as a British-era forest settlement for cattle rearing; residents hold community, not individual, rights.
Demand pending since 1985; block & district Forest Rights Committees have cleared the claim under FRA 2006.
File was sent back to the Nainital DM for re-examination, triggering the protest; markets at Car Road & Ghodanala shut in support.
A proposed elephant corridor (2018) in the area has added to residents' fears of displacement.
Way forward
Time-bound decision under FRA with clear demarcation of elephant-corridor land; conversion must pair land titles with wildlife-conflict safeguards.
Concept
Revenue village = surveyed unit with defined boundaries where land is recorded in revenue records, enabling ownership, registry, loans. FRA 2006 Sec 3(1)(h) grants the right to convert forest villages into revenue villages; the Gram Sabha initiates claims.
6. Panchayat by-polls: voting on 12 October, results on 14 October
Panchayati Raj in Uttarakhand; State Election Commission; 73rd Amendment. Prelims: Art 243K, Uttarakhand Panchayati Raj Act 2016.
Context
The State Election Commission has begun the process for by-elections to vacant panchayat posts; the model code of conduct is in force in the concerned blocks. In Uttarkashi alone, 199 ward-member posts across six blocks go to the polls.
Uttarkashi: 1 Gram Pradhan & 2 Kshetra Panchayat member posts (Bhatwari) plus ward members.
Ward posts by block: Naugaon 71, Bhatwari 39, Dunda 39, Mori 23, Chinyalisaur 21, Purola 6.
Uttarakhand follows a three-tier system: Gram Panchayat — Kshetra Panchayat — Zila Panchayat (Haridwar polls held separately).
Way forward
Fill vacancies quickly so that Finance Commission grants and GPDP planning are not held up; strengthen women-led panchayats.
Concept
Art 243K: superintendence of panchayat elections vests in the State Election Commission, appointed by the Governor; removed only like a High Court judge. Vacancies must be filled within 6 months (Art 243E).
Donut chart of 199 ward-member posts in Uttarkashi by-polls: Naugaon 71, Bhatwari 39, Dunda 39, Mori 23, Chinyalisaur 21, Purola 6. — StudyForGS
7. NTCA clears second phase of tiger translocation from Corbett to Rajaji's western zone
Wildlife & protected areas of Uttarakhand; conservation strategies. Prelims: Corbett TR, Rajaji TR, NTCA, soft release.
Context
The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) has approved five more tigers (1 male, 4 females) to be shifted from Corbett Tiger Reserve to the western zone of Rajaji Tiger Reserve, after an earlier batch of five was moved to its eastern zone.
Key facts
Aim: revive Rajaji's isolated western tiger population and ease human-tiger conflict around Corbett.
Each tiger will be radio-collared after a health check.
Soft release: 3-4 days in an acclimatisation enclosure, then ~3 months of radio monitoring.
Rajaji's western part is cut off from the east by the Ganga, highways and settlements.
Way forward
Restore the Chilla-Motichur corridor and plan eco-bridges on highways so relocated tigers can breed and disperse naturally.
Concept
Corbett — India's first national park (1936, Hailey NP); Project Tiger launched here in 1973. Rajaji declared Tiger Reserve in 2015, spread over Haridwar, Dehradun, Pauri. NTCA is a statutory body under WPA 1972 (2006 amendment).
8. India climbs 9 places to 31st in WEF Travel & Tourism Development Index 2026
REPORTUKPSC: Prelims + Mains (Economy — Tourism, India & Uttarakhand)
The World Economic Forum's TTDI 2026, released on 25 Sept ahead of World Tourism Day (27 Sept), ranks India 31st of 110 economies (up from 39th in 2024) with a score of 4.42.
Key facts
Top 5: Japan (5.27), USA, Spain, Australia, France; lowest: Mali (2.75).
India's strengths: price competitiveness, natural & cultural resources (top-10 for cultural World Heritage sites), better infrastructure.
101 of 110 economies improved scores; average rise 2.1%.
Way forward
For Uttarakhand: leverage homestays, winter tourism and adventure circuits while fixing sustainability gaps flagged by the index.
Concept
TTDI (successor to the TTCI, since 2022) is published biennially by the WEF and measures enabling factors — not arrivals or spending. World Tourism Day is observed on 27 Sept (UN Tourism).
Bar chart of WEF TTDI 2026 scores: Japan 5.27 at the top, other top-5 economies, and India at 31st with 4.42. — StudyForGS
9. UNGA adopts first-ever declaration on sea-level rise; protects statehood & maritime zones
IRUKPSC: Prelims + Mains (International Relations & Environment)
Syllabus linkage
International organisations; climate change; law of the sea. Prelims: UNCLOS zones, SIDS.
Context
On 24 Sept 2026, a high-level meeting during the 81st UNGA session adopted by consensus the first political declaration on sea-level rise, pushed by Small Island Developing States (SIDS).
Key facts
Creates a presumption of continued statehood and preservation of maritime zones even if coastlines retreat.
Four pillars: science & early warning, accessible finance, protection of livelihoods & heritage, international law.
Global sea level rose ~6 mm in 2024 — the largest annual rise on record; ~770 million people live within 5 m of high tide.
Relevance to India: Lakshadweep, Andaman & Nicobar, Sundarbans; India has a ~11,000 km coastline (revised).
Way forward
India should back loss-and-damage finance and fix its baselines under UNCLOS while investing in coastal adaptation.
Concept
UNCLOS (1982): Territorial sea 12 nm, Contiguous zone 24 nm, EEZ 200 nm — all measured from baselines. COP31 is due in Antalya, Türkiye (Nov 2026).
10. Exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 enters operational phase at Jodhpur
DEFENCEUKPSC: Prelims + Mains (Security & International Relations)
The Indian Air Force's multinational exercise Tarang Shakti 2026 (26 Sept-12 Oct) began its operational phase on 28 Sept at Air Force Station Jodhpur, with foreign air forces flying alongside the IAF and dozens of nations attending as observers.
Key facts
2nd edition — the first was held in 2024; theme "Power in Partnership".
Foreign participants: Australia, USA, UAE, France, Germany, Sri Lanka, Bangladesh.
Includes seminars, defence-industry tours and cultural exchanges.
Way forward
Use the exercise to showcase indigenous platforms (Tejas) for exports and to deepen interoperability with Indo-Pacific partners.
Concept
Interoperability = ability of forces of different nations to operate together. Other IAF exercises: Garuda (France), Cope India (USA), Red Flag (USA-hosted), Pitch Black (Australia-hosted).
11. Right to vote: statutory or fundamental? Deletion errors revive constitutional debate
Indian Constitution — elections, ECI, fundamental rights. Prelims: Art 326, RPA 1951, key judgments.
Context
Reports of eligible voters being dropped from rolls due to software limits in ECINet — and losing linked welfare benefits — have revived the question of whether voting should be a fundamental right, amid the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in states including Uttarakhand.
Key facts
At present voting is a statutory right under RPA 1951 (Sec 62); Art 326 provides for universal adult suffrage at 18 years.
Kuldip Nayar v. Union of India (2006): right to vote is statutory, not fundamental.
Justice Ajay Rastogi's 2023 dissent linked voting to Art 19(1)(a) and Art 21.
Supreme Court (May 2026) upheld the ECI's authority to conduct the SIR.
Way forward
Build human override and appeal into electoral software, give written notice before any deletion, and de-link welfare eligibility from roll status.
Concept
Art 324 — ECI superintends elections; Art 326 — adult suffrage (voting age cut from 21 to 18 by the 61st Amendment, 1988). Right to vote (statutory) differs from freedom of voting (expression, PUCL 2013 — NOTA).
Data point of the day
7.1%
OECD forecast for India's real GDP growth, FY 2026-27 Raised by 80 bps from 6.3% (June); FY28 seen at 6.5%, inflation 4.7% (2026). Highest among major forecasters — ADB, S&P, Moody's 7.0%, Fitch 6.9%, RBI 6.7%. World growth: 2.9% (2026).
Prelims rapid-fire
Khatima (Udham Singh Nagar): CM inaugurated a ₹7.23 crore gaushala at Haldighera and laid stones for 15 projects worth ₹108.84 crore (24 Sept).
STF Uttarakhand cyber helpline 1930 saved ~₹73 lakh from fraudsters in one week.
Mega Ports: JNPT, Paradip, Kandla (Deendayal), Mundra notified — criteria 150 MMT bulk cargo or 7.5 million TEUs; Mundra is the only private port.
Mandeep K. Bhandari (IAS 2001, AGMUT) appointed CBSE Chairperson.
Poompuhar (Mayiladuthurai, TN) underwater dig: West Asian torpedo-jar fragment, ring wells; habitation 5th-4th century BCE.
Lok Sabha has stayed adjourned sine die (not prorogued) for 46+ days since 13 Aug — third-longest ever; record 76 days (1987).
Practice MCQs — UKPSC Prelims pattern
Q1. With reference to the Gross Environment Product (GEP) of Uttarakhand, consider the following statements: 1. Uttarakhand was the first Indian state to launch a GEP Index. 2. The GEP Index is built on the four pillars of air, water, soil and forest. 3. The GEP technical report released in September 2026 covers the years 2023-24 and 2024-25. Which of the statements given above are correct?
1 and 2 only
2 and 3 only
1 and 3 only
1, 2 and 3
Show answer
Answer: d All three are correct: Uttarakhand launched India's first GEP Index in July 2024 on four pillars (air, water, soil, forest), and the Sept 2026 technical report covers 2023-24 and 2024-25.
Q2. Kalindi Pass and Auden's Col, recently in news due to stranded trekkers, are located in which district of Uttarakhand?
Chamoli
Pithoragarh
Uttarkashi
Rudraprayag
Show answer
Answer: c Both high passes lie in the Gangotri region of Uttarkashi district; Kalindi Khal links Gangotri with Badrinath (Chamoli), and Auden's Col links Gangotri with the Bhilangna valley (Tehri).
Mains practice question
Q. "Uttarakhand's hydropower strength is also its seasonal vulnerability." In the light of the recent peak-hour power deficit, examine the state's energy challenges and suggest a diversified energy strategy. (200 words)
Hint / approach
Intro: ~350 MW deficit, UJVN output 1,094 → 912 MW. Body: dependence on run-of-river hydro, lean-season flows, Tehri PSP outage, ecological limits after 2013/2021 disasters; solutions — solar + storage, pumped storage (100 GW by 2036), power banking, demand management, green hydrogen. Conclude with GEP-aligned growth.
📌 One-line revision: GEP report + STI Policy-2026 (first-state green accounting) | 121 rescued at Gomukh-Tapovan, Char Dham resumed 28 Sept | ~350 MW power gap | OECD 7.1% | TTDI 31st | UN sea-level declaration (24 Sept).
